Coasties will be delighted to hear they have the opportunity to see some of the highest quality classical music performed by young people over the weekend.

On Saturday, September 21, Orewa College will be hosting the Aotearoa Youth Orchestra.

The address is 76 Riverside Road, Orewa, and will be from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm.

The programme will consist of four pieces.

Smetana – Vltava (“The Moldau”),

Dvorak – Slavonic Dance No.2 in E min, Op.72

Strauss – Till Eulenspiegel

Jenny McLeod – Rock Concerto (soloist: Charles Sang, piano)

Mary Lin and Caleb Goldsmith, manager and a player of AYO, respectively, commented on what the youth orchestra offers for young people.

“AYO provides an enriching experience for our senior secondary school students, tertiary and postgraduate musicians the opportunity to rehearse and perform symphonic repertoire at the very highest level.”

Caleb shared that the youth orchestra travels across the country for their performances.

They perform 10 times a year, with large concerts played in the Auckland town hall.

“AYO embarks on often ambitious and challenging pieces bringing out the best in the musicians, with the highest standard of performance.”

Mary says the travelling can be difficult, but it certainly teaches players important life skills.

“Our players balance a rigorous academic workload with music and a range of other sporting and cultural pursuits.”

“We always ask players to discuss their issues and share their points with us so we can support them when we are able to.”

Being the national youth orchestra, you can expect a high level of quality.

Mary shares that AYO hosts auditions at the end of each year.

Current players are required to participate in this to maintain their place and seating order within the orchestra.

“We look for musicians who are grade 8 and above for strings, wind, brass and orchestral percussion.

Musicians auditioning go through a rigorous process of preparing orchestral excerpts from standard orchestra repertoire.

Results are posted by mid-December with the repertoire finalised that highlight our strength.”

The performance you will see on the night is surely one worth watching.

To purchase tickets and learn more information about the events, follow the link below.

https://www.eventfinda.co.nz/2024/ayo-auckland-youth-orchestra-september-series/auckland/orewa